Combination box and cradle for decorated easter eggs and the like



G. C. SPARKS COMBINATION BOX AND CRADLE FOR'DECORATED EASTER EGGS ANDTHE LIKE May 8, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 25, 1954IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIA INVENTOR. @[OEGZ C. SPARK S May 8, 1956 G. c. SPARKSCOMBINATION BOX AND CRADLE FOR DECORATED EASTER EGGS AND THE LIKE 2Sheets-Sheet 2' Filed May 25, 1954 IN V EN TOR. 650 962 C JPAKKJ".

ATTOP/Yf/Y United States Patent COMBINATION BOX AND CRADLE FOR DECO-RATED EASTER EGGS AND THE LIKE George C. Sparks, Philadelphia, Pa.

Application March 25, 1954, Serial No. 418,625

3 Claims. (Cl. 20645.14)

My invention relates to a new and useful combination box and cradle fordecorated Easter eggs and the like and especially to a type ofreceptacle wherein an insert element is positioned in a container andthe two elements mechanically interengaged to assist in holding them together.

An object of the invention is to produce a container and an inserthaving interlocking means to connect said insert to said container asthe latter is closed and assist in retaining said container in a closedcondition.

Another object of this invention is to construct a device of thecharacter described wherein a container or box is provided with aclosure flap or leaf and an insert or cradle is provided with means toengage said closure flap as the latter is closed to assist in holdingthe closure flap closed.

A further object of the invention is to provide a box and insertablecradle wherein the box is provided with a closure flap or leaf at thebottom thereof and having a slit with which a tongue on an insert orcradle registers as the closure flap is moved into the closed positionand thereby interlock the closure flap and insert to hold said closureflap closed.

A still further object of the present invention is to construct a boxand insert in which the box is of general frusto-pyramidal formationwith a closure flap having an articulated tucking fiap partly defined bya crease line having a slit therein and in which the insert has ageneral over-all shape similar to that of the box with portions thatsnugly fit within said box and provided with a laterally projectingtongue to register with the closure flat slit when said closure flap isclosed. A definite advantage accrues from the present construction inthat the package can be packed with both the box and cradle invertedthu-s adapting them to the use of machinery during some of the packingoperations.

With the above and other objects in view this invention consists of thedetails of construction and combination of elements hereinafter setforth and thendesignated by the claims.

In order that those skilled in the art to which this inventionappertains may understand how to make and use the same I will describeits construction in detail referring by numerals to the accompanyingdrawing forming a part hereof, in which:

' Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a box and insert constructed inaccordance with my invention.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view in the region of theinterlock and similar to a portion of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is an exploded perspective view of the box and cradle in invertedpositions showing the manner of packmg.

Fig. 6 is a reverse face view of the box forming blank.

.board or other suitable sheet material cut to a definite outlinepattern and appropriately scored and slitted so that when said blank isproperly folded it constitutes the container top wall 11, opposed sidewalls 12,13 defined and articulated relative to said top wall by thescored fold lines 14, 15 respectively, the closure flap or panel 16defined and articulated relative to a side wall 13 by the scored foldlines 17, a tucking flap 18 defined and articulated relative to theclosure panel 16 by a scored fold line 19, and the opposed end walls 20,21 extending from the top wall 11 and defined and articulated relativeto said top wall by the respective scored fold lines 22, 23, said endwalls having side edges diverging from the fold lines 22, 23 towards theouter ends of said end walls which are provided with similar tuckingflaps 24 at the outer terminals and defined and articulated relative totheir respective end walls by the scored fold lines 25. The side wall 12has opposed tucking end flaps 26, 27 defined and articulated relative tosaid side wall 12 by scored fold lines 28, 29 respectively which divergefrom the top wall 11 towards and to the longitudinal or free edge ofsaid side wall 12, said edge being what I term the base of the sidewall.

Similarly, the side wall 13 has opposed tucking end flaps 30, 31 definedand articulated relative to said side wall 13 by scored fold lines 32,33 respectively which diverge from the top wall 11 towards and to thescored fold line 17 which becomes the base line of the side wall 13.

The top 11 and side walls 12, 13 are appropriately apertured whereby theinterior of the box or container will be visible from the outside whensaid box or container is assembled. For purposes of illustration acut-out or opening 3 1 is shown which extends intothe side wall 12 andtop wall 11 and another cut-out or opening 35 extends into the side wall13 and said top wall 11. The openings 34 and 35 are partly defined andseparated by the cross-piece 36 which is a part of the top wall 11 andsaid openings are closed-by a sheet of transparent material 37superimposed on and secured to the reverse face of the blank in theregion of said openings.

A slit or slot 38 is provided at the outer free swinging end of theclosure panel and preferably in the scored fold line 19 between saidclosure panel 16 and the tucking flap 18.

To assemble or form the box or container the side walls 12, 13 and theend walls 20, 21 are properly foldedin the same general direction fromthe top wall 11 and as the blank is illustrated in Fig. 6 this directionof folding will be upwardly although when considered as the box isdepicted in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 the folding of the side and end walls isdownwardly so that the reverse face of the blank becomes the inside ofthe box. The tucking fiaps 26, 30 on one end of each of the side walls12 and 13, respectively, and the tucking flaps 27, 31 also on the sidewalls 12 and 13, respectively, at the opposite ends thereof are foldedinwardly and secured to the inner faces of the respective end walls 20,21, as by means of a suitable adhesive. The tucking flaps 24 on theopposite end walls 20, 21 are then folded inwardly and the closure panel16, which actually becomes the bottom of the box, is folded onto thetucking flaps 24 with the closure tucking flap 18 folded and insertedinto the box body directly behind the side wall 12 leaving the slit 38exposed outside of the base or longitudinal free edge of said side wall12 for apurpos'e to be presently described. Because of the divergingside edges of the end walls and similarly formed folds of the ends ofthe side walls the completed box resembles a frusto-pyramidal article orhas that general type of configuration.

The insert or cradle is also produced from a blank 39 of card-board;bole-board or other suitable sheetmaterial cut to a definite outlinepattern and appropriately scored and slitted so that when said cradleblank is properly folded it will constitute a base panel 40; identicalopposed-end' walls 41 defined and articulated relative to said basepanel by the scored fold lines 42, end flaps 43 defined and articulatedrelative to their respective end flaps 43 by the scored fold lines 44, apair of side leaves 45 on each end wall 41 defined and articulatedrelative to their respective end walls by scored fold lines 4'6convergent from the base panel towards and to the outer endsof saiddistinct endwalls'41, and tucking fiaps47 at the outer ends of saidleaves 45 defined and articulated relative to their respective leaves bythe scored fold lines 48-. The tucking and end flaps on each end wallare contiguous one another and separated by slits 49 in the blank 39.

Each end wall 41 has an aperture 50 one edge of which is the base and isstraight while the other edge may be curvilinear and has a plurality ofspaced slits extending therefrom into the body to form flexible grippingfingers 51 partially defined by the fold lines 52 at the bases of allofsaid fingers.

At one side edge of the base panel 40 is formed a laterally or outwardlyprojecting tongue 53 the purpose and operation of which will bedescribed below.

To assemble or form the insert or cradle the end walls 41 are bent atright angles tothe base 40 and their end flaps 43 bent outward, theleaves 45 also are bent outward, the leaves 45 also are bent outwardalong the angular fold lines 46, and the longitudinal edges of theleaves being parallel to the fold lines 46 of the respective leaves,this gives a tapered configuration to the cradle or insert to conform tothe shapeof the box, and the tucking flaps 47 of each pair of companionleaves at one end of the insert are bent to project towards each otherin overlapping relation to their respective contiguous end flaps 43' andfixedlysecured to said end flap, as by a suitable adhesive.

In practice, the article 54 to be packaged, such as a decorated Easteregg, is placed in the insert or cradle with the ends of said articleprojecting through the apertures 50 in the opposed end walls 41 of saidinsert and cushioned by the gripping fingers 51', and said insert orcradle then placed in the container or box while the latter is inverted,see Fig. 5. Finally the tucking flaps 24 are turned in and theclosure 16swung over and its tucking flap 18 inserted in the box against the innersurface of the box side wall 12 with the tongue 53 projecting into andsubstantially through the slit 38 to fasten the insert and closuretogether. After the packaging is complete the container is turned rightside up so that the closure becomes the bottom of the package.

The means for fastening the insert to the container closure while notthe only one is the most important feature of the present inventionbecause the connection between the container and its insert retains theclosure against accidental opening. This is accomplished due to the factthat when said closure has a tendency to open any outward movement ofthe closure will transmit a pulling motion to the side of the insert onwhich the tongue is located thus giving a tilting effect to said insertso as to bind on the container walls and thus hold the closure fromopening.

The steps used in performing the packaging operations may besupplemented by mechanical means in that the container may be dropped bya feeding device,.one at a time, in the inverted position, onto aplatform or table, the insert. delivered by another feeding mechanismwith the side walls 41 spread out so as' tobe in approximately the sameplane as the base 40 or in a spreading obtuse angular position relativeto said base, andthe articles 54 may be delivered to the position of theoperator on a conveyer belt. The operator picks up an article and placesit on the insert base 40, then pulls up the end walls 41 until the endsof the article extend through the apertures 50 in said end walls 41, theinsert, with the article therein is now inverted and placed in thecontainer and the closure flap 16 closed as aforementioned. The wholepackage can now be turned upright as shown in Fig. l at which time theclosure becomes the bottom of the package.

In a package of this type the article, such as an Easter egg confection,is retained out of contact with the walls of the container so thatgrease will not be deposited on the wall surfaces which might mar theappearance of the package. The packaging does not require the use of awrapper or shredded papers and therefore expedites the packingoperations and lowers the cost of packaging.

For display purposes the packages can be placed on top of one another onshelves, counters and the like without damage to the contents becausethe insert is so constructed that it reinforces the walls of thecontainer to prevent collapse thereof and even in shipping the articleis practically suspended and unexpected shocks will be absorbed byelements of the package to also prevent damage to the article.

The packages, when on display, have a neat and pleasing appearancebecause of the individual generally frustopyramidal configuration andthe merchandise is visible from either side or top of the packagethrough the transparent covering of the openings in the sides and top ofthe container.

Of course I do not wish to be limited to the exact details ofconstruction herein shown and described as these may be varied withinthe scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit of myinvention.

Having described my invention what I claim as new and useful is:

1'. A combination box and insert comprising a corn tainer unit includinga top wall having a display window opening therein and an articulatedbottom closure provided with a tucking flap defined and articulatedrelative to said closure member by a fold line having a slit therein, aninsert unit snugly fitted in said container unit and including means forholding an. article for display through said window and a base fordisposition parallel to and in contact with the articulated bottomclosure member when the latter is closed, and a tongue projectinglaterally from the edge of the insert unit base contiguous the tuckingflap of the closure and projecting through the slit in the fold linebetween the closure member and its tucking flap when said closure memberis closed to connect the container and insert units and retain theclosure member temporarily in the closed position.

2. A display cartonv comprising a container unit including a top wallhaving a display window opening therein, a plurality of side wallsdepending from said top wall, one opposed pair of side walls havingdisplay window openings therein formed as continuations of said top wallwindow opening, and a bottom closure hingedly joined at one side to oneof said side walls for swinging movem'ent into and out of a closedposition-extending between the lower ends of said side walls, an insertunit snugly fitted in said container unit and including means forholding an article for display through said top and side wall windowopenings and a base for disposition in parallel contact with and seatedon the bottom closure when the latter is closed, and securing meansdetachably connecting the opposite side of said bottom closure to saidinsert base when said closure is closed to maintain said base seated onsaid closure, whereby incipient opening movement of said closure tiltssaid' insert to'-bind the latter in said container and prevent furtheropening of said closure.

3. A display carton according to claim 2, said securing means comprisinga tucking flap on said opposite side of said bottom closure andconnected to the latter by a fold line having a slit therein, and atongue projecting laterally from the edge of the insert unit basecontiguous to the tucking flap and projecting through the slit in thefold line between said bottom closure and tucking flap when said bottomclosure is closed and disposed in parallel engagement with said base.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTSHoughland Jan. 15, 1918 Wickes Aug. 12, 1924 Waldman June 10, 1930 AdlerMay 10, 1938 Lowey Apr. 4, 1939 Chalmers June 27, 1939 Iunkin July 15,1941 Sparks May 12, 1953

